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Transcripts/The Times They Are A Changeling
:puffing :Twilight Sparkle: I hope Shining Armor and Princess Cadance don't think it's too soon for me to come back to the Crystal Empire for a visit. But I just know Flurry Heart's grown so much already. I wonder if I'll even recognize her. :Starlight Glimmer: She's the only baby they have, Twilight. I think it'll be pretty easy to figure out who she is. :Twilight Sparkle: grunt :Starlight Glimmer: Sorry. I know you want to visit your niece as much as possible, and I'm excited to see Sunburst again. I just don't wanna fall behind on my friendship lessons back home. :Twilight Sparkle: Starlight, your work in Ponyville isn't going anywhere. Besides, I think we all know you can learn about friendship anywhere. Right, Spike? :Spike: voice "Spike?" Who's "Spike"? :Starlight Glimmer: Pfft. Uh, you're Spike, Spike. And why are you dressed like that? :Spike: groans voice Guys, you're blowing my cover! How'd you even know it was me? :Starlight Glimmer: Because you're you... in a coat, hat and glasses. Also, we're the only ones here. :Spike: Right. :Twilight Sparkle: Spike, why do you need a disguise? :Spike: Last time we came to the Crystal Empire, there was a lot goin' on with the new baby and the Crystalling, but I still got mobbed in the street. :Starlight Glimmer: I wouldn't say mobbed. :Spike: And this is just a family visit. I wouldn't want the presence of Spike the Brave and Glorious to turn it into some kind of circus. :Starlight Glimmer: We get it. The Crystal Ponies adore you. :Twilight Sparkle: He did save the Empire. Twice. But still, I don't think your presence will turn our visit into a circus. :Spike: Not if I find the right disguise, it won't. : :Starlight Glimmer: Uh, disguise or not, Spike, I don't think you need to worry about being mobbed. Nopony's here. :whistling :drifting :cries :Spike: It's like a ghost town. :Twilight Sparkle: I've got a bad feeling about this. :Starlight Glimmer: Yeah, this is weird. :Spike: I guess I don't need the disguise after all. :Ponies cheering :Honeysparkle: It's Spike the Brave and Glorious! :Sapphire Joy: He's come to save us yet again! :Crystal Ponies: Spike! Spike! Spike! Spike! :Spike: Save you from what? :Starlight Glimmer: Yeah, what's going on? :Twilight Sparkle: Why was everypony hiding? :"Amber Laurel": Oh, it sure looks like Princess Twilight and her pupil. :"Scarlet Heart": But how can we be sure? :"Golden Väs": We can't! Either one of them could be the... you know! :zip! :"Amber Laurel": gasps What if this... gasps isn't... gasps the real Spike?! :"Scarlet Heart": Everypony, run! :zip! :Twilight Sparkle: Okay. Something strange is definitely going on. :Spike: groans Ya think? :Royal guard 1: Who goes there? :Starlight Glimmer: Um, you don't recognize the Princess of Friendship? :Royal guard 1: Of course we recognize her. :Royal guard 2: But that doesn't mean it's really her. :Spike: It's okay, guys. They're with me. And any friend of Spike the Brave and Glorious is a friend of the Crystal Empire, am I right? :Royal guard 2: Huh. It does look like him. :Royal guard 1: Well, it would, wouldn't it? I'm sorry, but we'll need to see some proof of identification. :Princess Cadance: We'll take care of things from here. :Twilight Sparkle: Oh, Cadance, thank goodness! What's going on? :Shining Armor: We can explain, Twily... if it really is you. :Princess Cadance: Sunshine, sunshine... :Princess Cadance and Twilight Sparkle: ...ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake! Mmm! :Shining Armor: It's okay, everypony. It's her. :Starlight Glimmer: Of course it's her! What's all this about? :Sunburst: A changeling's been spotted nearby. :Twilight Sparkle: A changeling?! :Spike: That's not good. :Princess Cadance: No, it's not. After Queen Chrysalis took my place at our wedding and invaded Canterlot with her army of minions, we're not taking any chances. :Sunburst: Changelings feed off of love. And ever since Flurry Heart's Crystalling, the Empire is filled with more love than anywhere in Equestria. It's possible they've come for the baby. :Shining Armor: That's why we posted the extra guards, and why we're— :Twilight Sparkle: Checking everypony's identity. :Princess Cadance: I'm sorry for all of this. Flurry Heart's really been looking forward to seeing you. :Flurry Heart: coos :Twilight Sparkle: Oh, she's gotten so big! Starlight and I will do whatever we can to help protect her. :Princess Cadance: To be honest, having you here is already a big relief. :Royal guard 2: indistinctly :Shining Armor: Hmm. The royal guards were wondering if Spike the Brave and Glorious would like to join in the search for the changeling. :Spike: Really? :Twilight Sparkle: Uh, I don't know if that's such a good idea, Spike. It sounds dangerous. :Spike: Come on, Twilight, this is Spike the Brave and Glorious you're talking to. Have you ever known me to run from danger? :Twilight Sparkle: Um... :Shining Armor: He'll be safe with our guards. :Spike: Or will your guards be safe with me? :Twilight Sparkle: sighs :Royal guard 1: Spike the Brave and Glorious, you've faced the evil changelings before. What can you tell us? :Spike: Oh, uh, well, they are changelings, so they can... change. :Royal guard 1: other guards You hear that? These monsters can look like any of us, so be on guard, guards! Even more than normal. :Spike: And they could be anywhere. :Royal guards: snort :Spike: So we should cover as much ground as possible. You, search that way! :whoosh :Spike: And you, search that way! :whoosh :Spike: And... I'll... just search... here, I guess. Not many places to hide. Unless that rock is a changeling. Okay, rock. How do I know you're really a rock? Hmm. Not talkin', huh? Well, you can't fool me! Uhh! Ow! screams :Spike: Help! Help! Help! Help! Help! Help! Help! Oh! Uhh! :thuds :Spike: Phew! kisses Okay. Maybe it's time Spike the Brave and Glorious went back to, uh, protect those guards. Gah! sighs Just my reflection. Huh? Ha! Ha-ha! Hmm. Just my imagination, I guess. :noise :Spike: screams :Spike: Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-changeling! stutters :Thorax: No, wait! Come back! :Spike: screaming :thud :Spike: screaming This is unexpected. :splat :Thorax: The ice is pretty slippery. I wouldn't want you to get hurt because of me. :Spike: You... saved me? :Thorax: It's okay. I know you don't wanna be friends. :Spike: Wait! I don't understand. Changelings are supposed to be evil... right? :Thorax: Evil? Oh, not me. All I've ever wanted is a friend. :Thorax: narrating From the moment I first split my egg in the nursery hive... :larva hissing :Baby Thorax: whimpering :Thorax: narrating I was part of the attack on Canterlot during the royal wedding, but I'd never seen true friendship like that! And I couldn't just steal it and feed on its love. I wanted to share it! :explosion :Thorax: After that, I knew I couldn't live with my kind anymore. I set off looking for love to share, but... :Spike: But... what? :Thorax: I'm starving! And there's so much love in the Crystal Empire right now. It's what drew me here! But it's drivin' me crazy! :Spike: That would be from the royal Crystalling. It's pretty much a giant outpouring of light and love for a new baby. :Thorax: hisses Oh, sorry! I'm just so hungry! If I had a friend, maybe the love we shared could sustain me, but I don't think the Crystal Ponies want to be friends. :Spike: What if I told you there was somepony they respect and admire so much, he could convince them to give it a try? :Thorax: If only that were true. :Spike: It is! I mean, I'' am! It's me, Spike! Spike the Brave and Glorious? I'm sure you've heard of me. :'Thorax': Nope. But I was raised by an evil queen. I'm Thorax. I can't believe you want to help me. :'Spike': Why? Hasn't anypony ever just been nice to you? :'Thorax': hisses Uh! S-Sorry! Kindness like that kind of brings it out. Do you still wanna be my friend? :'Spike': Of course! And I am one hundred percent sure I can get the whole Crystal Empire to be your friend too. :'Thorax': hisses :'Spike': But... maybe I should just, uh, talk to them first. :'Thorax': grunting :'Royal guard 1': What do you mean? Did you see the changeling? :'Royal guard 2': Did you defeat the evil creature? :'Spike': Defeating a changeling would be brave, but do you know what would be glorious? :'Royal guard 1': Defeating ''two changelings? :Royal guard 2: Defeating all the changelings? :Spike: Not having to fight the changeling at all! Because I made friends with him. :laughing :Royal guard 1: Oh, wow! For a second I thought you were serious! :Royal guard 2: laughing Could you imagine? Friends with a changeling? :Spike: I am serious. He wants to be friends! :laughing :Royal guard 2: Right! :Royal guard 1: Not only are you Spike the Brave and Glorious, you're also Spike the Hilarious! :Royal guard 2: laughing :Spike: I'm not joking! The changeling is nice! :laughing harder :Shining Armor: I'm sorry, but I don't think it's funny. The Changeling Queen Chrysalis kidnapped Cadance and cast a spell on me. :zip! :Shining Armor: There's no such thing as a nice changeling. :Spike: You're right, Shining Armor. Sorry. That was a... bad joke. :Thorax: So? So? Uh, what did they say? How many new friends do I have? :Spike: Well, it didn't go exactly the way I thought. :Thorax: groans I understand. Well, thanks for trying. I-I guess it's not surprising. How can you expect ponies who looks like this... noise to trust something that looks like this? noise :Spike: I think I might know! :opens :Twilight Sparkle: Spike, if you're done searching for the changeling, Starlight and I could use your help. We're working on a protection spell for Flurry Heart, and nopony takes notes like you. :Spike: Uh, actually, Twilight, I, uh, wanted to introduce you to my friend, uh... Uh, Crystal, uh... Hoof! Crystal Hoof! chuckles My good friend, Crystal Hoof. : : Nice to meet you. :Twilight Sparkle: Oh. Well, it's, uh, nice to meet you, too. How do you know Spike? : : Oh, uh, Spike and I go way back. :Spike: To the Equestria Games! That's when we met. We've been pen pals ever since. :Twilight Sparkle: Pen pals? Spike! You could have been using my pen pal quill set! Why didn't you tell me? :Spike: Well, I... I pretty much only write to him when you and Starlight are... studying. : : I like to brag to all my friends about my letters from Spike the Brave and Glorious. :Spike: Yeah. nervously : and Spike: nervously :Twilight Sparkle: Well, I'm sure Starlight and I can manage, if you want to spend time with your friend. :Spike: Great! Crystal Hoof promised to take me around the city. : : Oh, that was amazing! :Spike: I told ya. :music :Royal guard 1: hushed Crystal Hoof is nearly as entertaining as Spike himself. : : gasps This place is everything I've ever dreamed of! hushed But I can't keep pretending to be a Crystal Pony forever, can I? :Spike: Relax. You're winning them over. Pretty soon, nopony will care that you're a changeling. :Princess Cadance: Spike! Twilight told me you were off with a friend. :Spike: laugh :Princess Cadance: And any friend of Spike the Brave and Glorious is a friend of mine. :Flurry Heart: coos : : Oh, she's so beautiful! There's so much l-love around her...! I... I...! :noise :Thorax: hisses :Princess Cadance: gasps :Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer: gasps :Thorax: I... hisses I'm so... hisses ...sorry...! I can't... Can't hisses ...stop! :Twilight Sparkle: Spike! Get away from the changeling! :Spike: Wait, no! You don't understand! :Sunburst: This changeling replaced your friend to get close to the baby! What other explanation could there be?! :Spike: I... :Thorax: hisses :Spike: ...I don't know. :Thorax: whimpers :Royal guard 1: After it! Don't let the changeling escape! :Princess Cadance: I hope your friend is okay. :Spike: Yeah... Me, too. :Royal guard 1: Spike, you should go find Crystal Hoof while we hunt down the changeling. :Spike: I'm pretty sure he doesn't wanna see me. :Shining Armor: Spread out! The changeling is probably still nearby! :Spike: Actually, I'm pretty sure he ran as far away from here as possible.... But I bet I know where! :Spike: Thorax! Hello? I just want to apologize! I should have stood up for you... Aw, come on, Thorax! I know you're in here! :noise :Thorax: Leave me alone! hisses :Spike: yelps panting Little help? :Thorax: Why do you think I would help you? I'm an "evil changeling"! :Spike: Because you're my friend. I just wish I had been one to you. yelps :Thorax: It's okay, I know it's hard. Everyone in the Crystal Empire loves you. I couldn't ask you to give that up for me. :Spike: You don't have to ask. :Thorax: What are you gonna do? :Spike: What I should've done in the first place. :Royal guards: Let's move! Move! Move! This way! This way! Let's go! Check there? Okay. Over here! Over here! etc. :shouting :Royal guard: Look around that corner! Over there! Over there! etc. :Starlight Glimmer: I know it's bad that there's a changeling around, but is all this really necessary? :Princess Cadance: If there's one changeling, there may well be a whole army on the way. :Twilight Sparkle: True. But Starlight has a point. This is getting a little out of hand. :Princess Cadance: sighs I understand, but I don't know what else we can do. :Spike: I do! :gasp :Shining Armor: Spike! What are you doing?! Get away from that thing! :Spike: No. He's not a "thing"! His name is Thorax, and he's my friend! :Royal guards and Shining Armor: gasp :Princess Cadance and Sunburst: gasp :Starlight Glimmer: gasp :beat :Twilight Sparkle: Spike, I'm so proud of you. :Spike: You are? :Twilight Sparkle: Of course! You're a celebrity here in the Crystal Empire, and you just risked all of it for a friend! I can't imagine anything more brave than that. others As the Princess of Friendship, I try to set an example for all of Equestria. But today, it was Spike who taught me that a new friend can come from anywhere. I guess everypony still has things to learn about friendship. Even me! And if Spike says Thorax is his friend, then he's my friend too. :Thorax: Thank you. :Princess Cadance: On behalf of the Crystal Empire, I would like to extend my hoof in friendship, and I'm sure all of my subjects are eager to do the same. :cheering :Flurry Heart: coos :Shining Armor: Welcome to the Crystal Empire, Thorax. I'm sorry we didn't take the time to get to know you. Maybe we can change that now. :Thorax: That'd be so amazing! I want to know all about friendship, and maybe one day I can take that knowledge back to the Changeling Kingdom! If my kind learned how to create love for one another, maybe they wouldn't have to take it from others! :Royal guard 1: To Spike the Brave and Glorious! :cheering :Starlight Glimmer: Looks like you were right after all. :Twilight Sparkle: Right about what? :Starlight Glimmer: Friendship lessons can happen anywhere. :credits